Posted on 01/30/2010 1:16:18 PM PST by Salvation
This website surveys the origin and development of Roman Catholic Christianity from the period of the apostolic church, through the post-apostolic church and into the conciliar movement. Principal attention is paid to the biblical basis of both doctrine and dogma as well as the role of paradosis (i.e. handing on the truth) in the history of the Church. Particular attention is also paid to the hierarchical founding and succession of leadership throughout the centuries.
This is a set of lecture notes used since 1985 to teach the basis for key doctrines and dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. The objectives of the course were, and are:
The course grew out of the need for the authors to continually answer questions about their faith tradition and their work. (Both authors are active members of Catholic parish communities in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Robert Schihl was a Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Regent University. Paul Flanagan is a consultant specializing in preparing people for technology based changes.) At the time these notes were first prepared, the authors were spending time in their faith community answering questions about their Protestant Evangelical workplaces (Mr. Flanagan was then a senior executive at the Christian Broadcasting Network), and time in their workplaces answering similar questions about their Roman Catholic faith community. These notes are the result of more than a decade of facilitating dialogue among those who wish to learn more about what the Roman Catholic Church teaches and why.
This text is incomplete in many ways. No small text can contain the immense teaching and explanation of the Roman Catholic faith. We have hit only the high spots, the truths and issues which we believe are the most important as foundations of faith. There is much more to cover beyond this.
The authors are incomplete also. We present this text from our experience and our viewpoints. We use the Bible and the Church documents to illustrate our Faith. Yet, we cannot give the topic complete justice because of our limitations. Please excuse our errors, blind spots, and views limited by space considerations.
Finally, this text is information. Yet the process for understanding Roman Catholicism is formation rather than education. In the early history of the Christian Church, the Gnostic heretics tied success in faith to knowledge. The Church knew then, and it knows now, that Christianity is a matter of relationships rather than knowledge. The foundation of Christianity is relationship with Jesus. One key to this relationship is our relationships with each other. We cannot love God and hate people. Changing our lives to love people and love God more is what formation is all about. This text cannot show you the reality of Roman Catholicism. Only participation in an active faith community can give one the understanding of what Catholics are really about.
With these caveats, we present Catholic Biblical Apologetics.
Catholic Ping!
thanks. This might be a help.
always good info...
when i run into our separated brethern, i always find that they cant seem to get or follow the idea of the historical roots of the catholic church stretching back to Peter, et al.
we’ll see what it brings. I really like the focus of these two men, however, not education, but rather a relationship with Jesus Christ.
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